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Updated 03 August 2022

Travellers are gearing up to explore Qatar ever since the country has resumed pleasure travel. However, be advised that this goes only for those who have been jabbed with an approved COVID-19 vaccine.

Keep reading to know which vaccine certificates are being accepted by the State of Qatar.

Which vaccines are approved by Qatar?

For emergency use in the State

As per the Ministry of Public Health of the State of Qatar, the country has approved only the following two coronavirus vaccines inside the State.

Pfizer/BioNTech: Comirnaty

The BNT162b2 is a messenger Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA) vaccine meaning that it carries genetic instructions that help the recipient’s cells to produce protein pieces that trigger immune system response.

On 21 December 2020, Pfizer became the first vaccine to be authorized by the State.

Moderna: Spikevax

The Moderna vaccine primarily works by injecting a fraction of the COVID-19 virus’ genetic code into the body. This will trigger the body’s immune response, therefore, creating antibodies capable of fighting the virus.

Moderna got the green light from the Qatari government on 10 February 2021.

 

For travellers

Apart from the vaccines authorized for domestic use, Qatar also recognizes the following vaccines in case of inbound travellers.

Oxford/AstraZeneca: Vaxzevria and Covishield

The ChAdOx1 COVID-19 vaccine is based on the virus’s genetic instructions for building the spike protein, which are stored using double-stranded DNA.

Note that, along with Vaxzevria, Covishield certificates are also recognized in Qatar.

Johnson & Johnson: Ad26.COV2.S

The Janssen vaccine leverages the AdVac vaccine platform to engineer a common cold virus to carry genetic instructions into the arm cells where they construct a replica of the coronavirus spike, triggering the immune system.

Sinopharm: BBIBP-CorV

Sinopharm relies on the older but tested technology, which involves taking an inactivated form of the virus to stimulate the body’s immune response.

Note that Sinopharm has only been conditionally approved by Qatar. Read below to know more.

 

Vaccination criteria for travellers

Qatar considers passengers as fully vaccinated only if they have taken the last/final dose of vaccine at least 14 days before arrival in the State.

Travellers to Qatar need to submit their original vaccination certificates on the Ehteraz portal at least 12 hours before travel.

The certificate must include:

  1. Name of the passenger and it must match the passport.
  2. Dose dates according to the type of the vaccine (one dose for Jansen vaccine and two doses for other vaccines).
  3. Type/name of the vaccine.
  4. The lot number of the vaccine (if any).
  5. Official logo or seal of the vaccination authority​

 

Testing requirements for vaccinated travellers

The State of Qatar has reopened for fully-vaccinated international leisure travellers.

Even if they have been jabbed twice, passengers will still need to take an RT-PCR not more than 72 hours before travel and present the negative test certificate on arrival.

However, they will be exempted from quarantine.

Passengers who have taken a conditionally approved vaccine

As of 22 July, Sinopharm is the only vaccine which has been conditionally approved by Qatar.

If you have taken a vaccine that has been conditionally approved by Qatar, you’ll have to take an antibody test on arrival in the country.

If the test comes positive, you’ll be exempted from quarantine.

However, if it comes back negative, you’ll have to take a PCR test and undergo quarantine based on the classification of the departure country.

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